Montreal’s Must-Do Free Activities

Fête des enfants de Montréal is an annual festival for children that takes place in Jean Drapeau Park. La Fête des enfants de Montréal features over a hundred free activities including live performances, music, dance, creative workshops and sports, cooperative games and inflatable structures. The purpose of this festival is to provide children with an environment of discovery!

Montreal's Fête des Neiges de Montréal Winter Festival is an annual festival that is held yearly at Jean-Drapeau Park. This festival is a celebration of the essence of winter that turns the city of Montreal into a winter wonderland. It has been happening in Montreal for several decades. The purpose of this three week-end festival is to encourage everyone to have fun in the snow. The Fête des Neiges is one of Montreal's largest outdoor winter events.

La Fête Nationale du Québec is the National Holiday of the province of Québec. On this day, various events, shows and spectacles are planned in Montreal and throughout the province of Quebec. La Fête Nationale always occurs on June 24, which happens to be St. John the Baptist Day. Festivities take place on both June 23 and June 24. It is one of Montreal’s most popular holidays and it is a paid holiday in Montreal and the rest of Quebec.

Montreal’s International Fireworks Competition (L'International des Feux Loto-Québec presented by TELUS) is an annual fireworks competition that takes place during the summer months in Montreal. The Montreal International Fireworks Competition has been taking place since 1985 at La Ronde and is one of the most popular summer events in Montreal. The fireworks competition runs from mid-June till mid-August. Each year, over 3 million people attend the fireworks displays. The festival uses more than 6,000 fireworks.

The Montreal High Lights Festival (Festival Montréal en Lumière) is one of the largest winter festivals in the world and Montreal's most popular winter festival. Occurring in the Month of February, the High Lights Festival is a 10-day celebration of light shows, free events, live music, performance arts and fine food and wine.

Montreal's International Jazz Festival (Festival International de Jazz de Montréal ) is the largest jazz festival in the world. This 11-day summer music festival takes place between late June and early July in the heart of downtown Montreal. Located inside the Quartier des Spectacles, around the Place des Arts, the festival features some of the most famous artists from around the world. Each year, over 2 million spectators attend the International Jazz Festival.

The Place des Festivals is a large public urban space that is dedicated to festivals and entertainment within the Quartier des Spectacles. The Place des Festivals draws huge festivals, particularly, during the summertime because of the many free events that take place in the Quartier des Spectacles. As part of the Place des Arts, the Place des Festivals contains the biggest interactive fountain in Canada.

Montreal’s Quays of the Old Port offers plenty of activities for Montreal locals and visitors. Located at the Eastern end of the Lachine canal, and just off the St. Lawrence River, the Old port is great place for locals and tourists to mingle. During the summer, it offers a riverfront destination for walking, cycling, pedal boats, rollerblading and even Segway rentals.